


Stand Down

by GSister



Category: due South
Genre: Family, Family Drama, Family Secrets, Implied Slash, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-02
Updated: 2013-05-02
Packaged: 2017-12-10 04:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/781766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GSister/pseuds/GSister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Vecchio family help Benton Fraser understand his own past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stand Down

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Standing Guard](https://archiveofourown.org/works/597199) by [ButterflyGhost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ButterflyGhost/pseuds/ButterflyGhost). 



> DISCLAIMER: These Characters do not belong to me (but if they did, I'D share… probably.) That said, this story was written purely for self entertainment and no money is being made, has changed hands, or has been paid out for the contents therein. The Author wishes to thank ButterflyGhost for the AU - she came up with it, and graciously let me play there. Special thanks to my Beta – Van, who made this piece so much better than it began as, and did the posting for me. And all without being a part of this fandom. Also thanks must go to "S", (who has threatened me with a Death by Larabee-Glare if I mention her by more than that) – it's totally her fault that I got into fan fiction in the first place. Without her encouragement (nagging), constructive criticism, and long talks on characterization, I might still be writing pathetically depressing purple poetry, and what prose I did write, I would never have the courage to post, even if it EVER got finished… 
> 
> ~Constructive Criticism will be graciously accepted  
> ~Flames will be used to toast marshmallows

“… And then the Queen came out of the Castle and waved at all the people! And she has Mounties at the gates, too, but they were wearing these big fuzzy funny hats. Does Uncle Benny ever have to wear one of those funny hats? I like his Mounty hat better.”

Sophia Vecchio listened with a tolerant smile as Maria’s second youngest child rattled on about a program the children had been watching on the television. She was rolling out the dough for the night’s dessert pastry, while her eldest son was dicing vegetables for the marinara sauce for the pasta. Benton’s Ray was helping him; he was surprisingly good in the kitchen once he had a few lessons and was given the “right recipes”. And Benton was setting the table, moving around the kitchen like he had been born to her, and not adopted into the Vecchio clan when her Raimundo had brought him to her as a wounded bird so many years before, when they both worked as Police Officers – one for Chicago, the other for Canada. These were the times she liked the best. The whole family was gathered around, or as near as could be, and she had her entire brood to fuss over and cook for. Now if only she could get Paulie to come up from Florida, she’d be complete.

“Those weren’t Mounties at the gate, Teresa, they were the Queen’s Guards.” Benton had finished setting the glasses on the table and turned to get the plates, stopping to give the youngest of the Vecchio clan in the room his undivided attention. He knelt down beside her. “You know,“ he said in a conspiratorial voice, “when I was your age my father spent a lot of his time away on missions that he couldn’t tell us about. I used to think that maybe he was away guarding the Queen.”

“Really?” Sophia turned around, the better to watch the drama being played out in her kitchen. Benton was so good with children. He and Ray really should find a way to have a houseful. “Your father guarded the Queen?” Teresa’s eyes were big.

Ray and Benton’s Ray had turned around to watch as well. Benton remained oblivious, as he focused on the littlest Vecchio in the room. He tapped her nose with his finger, smiling gently at her. “No, Teresa, I doubt my father was guarding the Queen. I don’t think she was traveling in the Northwest Territories at the time. But I used to pretend that I was one of the Queen’s Guards, and my mother was the Queen. I would guard her while she fed the dogs, and did other chores around the cabin.”

“No wonder you’re so good at standing at attention for so long,” Raimundo chuffed quietly. Benton turned his head up and to the side, finally taking note of his adult audience. He blushed a little at the back of the neck, but he smiled up at His Ray and Raimundo as if pleased to be a part of the teasing.

“Yes, Ray, looking back I’m sure now that when my mother wanted me to be still for a moment she would play Secret Queen with me.”

“What do you mean, Secret Queen?” Benton’s Ray asked, the smile on his face and tone of his voice conveying not only his curiosity, but how charming he was finding this tale of Benton’s childhood.

“Well, Ray,” Benton answered, and Sophia could see the twinkle in his eyes, “one must always be polite, because one never knows when one may be entertaining Royalty in disguise.”

“Oh, is that why?” Raimundo teased.

Sophia loved watching her Raimundo tease Benton, and Benton teasing Raimundo. In a way it was like when Raimundo and Paulie were little, and still friends. Back then the boys teased each other constantly, as well as the girls. But this was different. Raimundo had never been this careful with Paulie. It was as if he knew Benton was easily overwhelmed, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him from experiencing the famiglia in all its glory.

“Did you play Secret Queen with your papa too? Did he help guard the Queen with you?” Teresa asked, breaking Sophia out of her musings.

A shadow passed over Benton’s face. “No, no I never did. He was away when we started the game. The last time we played… was just before he returned.”

“Teresa, why don’t you go wash up for dinner? It will be ready soon, and maybe Nonna will need help in a little bit with the pastry.”

Sophia smiled and nodded at the child, shooing her out of the room. Something had changed, but she wasn’t quite sure what. Raimundo and Benton’s Ray had quickly wiped their hands off, and had pulled Benton into a chair, and were now sitting on either side of him. Benton’s Ray had Benton’s hands in his, while Raimundo had an arm around the quiet man. “Benny, Benny were you playing that when Muldoon came?” Raimundo asked.

Benton gave a jerky nod of his head. Raimundo let out a quiet curse word or three, followed by “Sorry, Ma,” that made her smile. He always tried so hard not to use that language in her presence, but sometimes needs must. She understood it, even if she didn’t like it. Her Raimundo was rubbing Benton’s back now, while Benton’s Ray had taken one hand from his and was cupping Benton’s cheek, rubbing his thumb gently across it, and leaning in to press their foreheads together.

“Raimundo? What is going on?” Sophia kept her voice soft, not wanting to disturb them, but needing to know what was going on if she was going to help.

Raimundo looked up at her, his breaking heart in his eyes. “Ma, Benny was playing the game when his mother was killed. She had hidden him, or Muldoon would have killed him too. He must have been playing Queen’s Guard wherever he was hiding… “

Benton’s Ray spoke up, looking up at them with tears in his eyes. “He told me it was two days until his father got home after she was killed.”

Sophia looked over at her boys, all crowded around one another like they could take the pain from each other. In the middle of the huddle sat Benton, pale, straight backed, eyes focused on his and his Ray’s clasped hands. Like a Sentinel, standing guard, only sitting down. The realization hit her in the chest, causing her heart to skip a beat. She had to wait a moment for it to settle down, make sure she wasn’t going to need the pills the doctor had given her that she kept in her room.

She shooed Raimundo out of his chair and took his place. Placing one arm around Benton, she placed the other on his face to turn him toward her. “It’s alright, Benton. My Brave Soldier. You can stand down now, son. The Queen is at rest. So can you.”

He looked at her for a long moment. And then his eyes, those wonderful blue eyes that always seemed to hold a secret pain in their depth, filled, and spilled over as he collapsed into her arms.


End file.
